Photonex is the UK’s largest showcase event dedicated to light technologies which also incorporates Vision UK. Highlights for the 2014 exhibition include industrial vision, machine vision, scientific imaging and new this year is an entire conference on hyperspectral imaging. Automation magazine takes a closer look at what’s going on
This year’s event will once again be held at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, on the 15th-16th October. It brings together manufacturers and distributors of vision and imaging solutions and associated laser and sensor technologies, along with a conference covering a variety of subjects.
Vision UK is for vision, imaging and laser technology for research, science, industry and factory automation.
The organisers have made the point this year that Vision UK is a place to solve problems and to learn how to utilise vision in your factory. Amongst the exhibitors there is someone to answer any vision, sensing, remote sensing or light-based technology question relating to your process or your production line.
Many technologies that were introduced at last year’s show are now routinely being used for automating processes in factories.
For example, USB3 interface technology, which improves speed and robustness of a vision system, is now routinely used. With the advantage of easy set-up, being in the most part plug-and-play, USB3 has, in the past 12 months, brought down the cost of vision systems. Many exhibitors have plentiful experience of 3D imaging and additionally this year colour cameras will feature greatly at the show. Colour vision is now able to sort more complex coloured items – no longer is it a technology for simple colour sorting of the Lego brick type product, but it is now being used for more complex products where colours vary greatly – organic foods for example. Additionally on the packaging line cameras are being used to ensure the right label is used for the right product by examination of the colour printing on labels.
In addition, hyperspectral imaging is growing in use and as such the Hyperspectral Imaging and Applications Conference will be taking place at the same time as Photonex. It is best known for applications in remote sensing and as an aerial sensing technique to detect and classify objects on the ground. Now hyperspectral imaging is being used in research and industry to determine viewed objects’ temperatures, chemical composition, moisture, fat and sugar content. On the food production line it provides high resolution and a high speed solution for imaging applications from moisture monitoring to food analysis and for sorting applications. Miniaturisation and increasing spectral range are driving the latest technology changes and growing use is bringing down the price of cameras.
Master classes
The UKIVA will be building on its traditional educational seminar program on imaging at Vision UK @ Photonex by offering a program of vision technologies and applications master classes. These will cover some of the latest imaging techniques, including 3D imaging, with the emphasis on solving practical imaging problems.
UKIVA chairman, Mark Williamson, said, “We were very pleased with the significant increase in attendance at our seminars at last year’s Vision UK showcase, so we have decided to place an even greater emphasis on practical applications by inviting contributions from vision systems integrators, who get intimately involved in creating vision solutions, as well as end users themselves.”
Commenting on the event, Ian Alderton of Alrad Imaging, a specialist UK supplier of vision technologies said, “Meeting people at an exhibition enables me to put a face to the people I may have exchanged e-mails with or spoken to on the phone. Importantly in an only slightly longer conversation than we might have had on the phone, I am able to obtain a better understanding of an application which helps me to provide a more appropriate and complete solution for the customer.”
Speakers
Keynote speakers have also been announced for the HSI 2014 Conference. Attendees will have the rare opportunity to hear a talk from professor Bruce Rafert, visiting from North Dakota State University (Fargo, US), entitled ‘Before hyperspectral imaging ruled the world’. In addition to a brief historical overview, Rafert will discuss several of the most interesting optical engineering challenges that have been addressed during his career. He will present some as yet unexploited features of field widened (slit less) SMIFTS instruments, as well as a variety of images from ground, aircraft and satellite-based instruments that helped provide the impetus for the proliferation and development of entire new families of instruments and countless new applications for hyperspectral imaging.
Additional speakers also include Dr Aoife Gowen from University College Dublin (Ireland) who will be giving a presentation on ‘The role of water in NIR hyperspectral imaging of biological materials’ and William Oxford from DSTL (UK) who will be discussing ‘Future employment of hyperspectral imaging in military operations’.
There has been a high level of interest in the HSI Conference this year with enquiries coming from all over the world and in all areas of hyperspectral imaging. This is thought to be for two reasons – firstly, it has been two years since the last conference in Rome, and secondly, the co-location of the event at a significant equipment exhibition ensures time well spent for speakers and attendees alike.
Professor Stephen Marshall of the Hyperspectral Imaging Centre at the University of Strathclyde added, “The response this year has been outstanding and we know there will be some fascinating developments to learn about at this year’s conference. We are delighted to have attracted such significant scientists as keynote speakers to this event.”
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